Maternity-gown.



E. MILES.

MATERNITY GOWN.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.1, 191s.

1,1Q4437g Patented July 21, 1914.

I a W 4 1727 differ/29 1;

L oness,

scribed and claimed.

narrrnn snares oration ELIZABETH MILES, 0F EVENSTQN, XLHNQIS.

raarnnnrrr-oowit.

\ Specification of Letters Patent.

li atented July 21., twi l.

' 1 a ne tmn area December 1.191s. serarnaeeaaea Z '0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Earzannrnll/lrnns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Evanston, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Maternity Gowns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in maternity skirts and has for its object the production of a skirt of this character which will be of neat and finished appearance and which when expanded or circumferentially adjusted will retain its shape so that the alteration or variation in the size thereof will be unnoticed.

A furtherobject is the production of a skirt which will be of simple and economical construction, one which may be readily and easily expanded or circumferentially adjusted, and one which will be eficient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. The invention conslsts in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter deihe invention will be bestunderstood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this-specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a skirt embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

The preterred form of construction as illustrated in the drawing comprises askirt,

' the body of which'is formed of two similar pieces of fabric 1 and 2 which form the front and rear respectively of the skirt. Said members 1 and 2 are conneeted. to. gether by lines of stitching 3, the -seams formed being positioned. at the sides of the I skirt, and the adjoinin edges being so out or formed as to result in a skirt which will be adapted to snugly fit the hips of the Provided centrally at the front and rear sides of the skirt are panels 4: and 5'which are defined by linesof stitchings 6 and? respectively, said lines of stitching extending parallel with and being slightly spaced from the long tudinal edges of the panels so as i to result in the formation of tucks at said panel edges. Formed'at the longitudinal edges of said panels 4 and 5 are loose inwardly turned'plaits or folds '8 and 9 respectively, adapted to be adjusted, that is let out or taken in to increase or decrease the size otthe fold so as to allow for expansion or circumferential adjustment of the skirt as desired.

The garment is held snugly about the body of the wearer by means of longitudinally adjustable straps 10 provided at the upper edge oi the skirt, there being one termediate said panel's being free to adjust themselves according to the space interveningthe adjacent edges of said panels and which space, will be observed, is determined by the straps 10. With this arrangeinent then, will be seen that in the use of I the skirt, expansion or circumferential adjustment thereof is eflected by simply adjusting the straps 10, the folds or plaits 8 and 9) adjusting themselves to correspond with the adjustment of said straps. The

i pressure of? the straps and the longitudinal edges oi the panels upon said plaits 8 and 9 willserve to hold the latter in position, it

having'been found through usage that it is unnecessary to employ additional fastening means for this purpose.

A: belt in isprovided-which is secured at l3 te the upper edge: otthe panel 5, the free ends at saidbett beingprovided with so operating ball and socket fastenings it for seemingthe belt sheet the wearer, there being, a plurality of said ball and socket fastenings; in order to permit expansion of the belt to correspond with the adjustment of the skirt. The belt 12 isadapted wheh in position to hide the straps 10 and the same is sufliciently wide to permit slight raising or lowering of the waist line of the skirt a without exposing the upper edge of the skirt above or below the same, such raising or lowering of the waist line of the skirt re-.

sulting through alteration in the form of the wearer during development when the skirt is in use.- v

At dneedgc of the rear-panel 5 is provided a slit 15 which forms a" placket opening, ball and socket fastening l6'being provided to releasably lock said opening'during use of the skirt A vskirt of'the construction set forth is simple'and economical in'construction and by reason of the arrangement of the panels and the adjustable connection between the same the form of the skirt, when worn, remains unchanged and alteration in the cir cumference thereof is rendered unnoticeable.

The greatest expansion in the skirt occurring at the waist line, the plaits or folds 8 and 9 taper toward their lower ends as shown.

While I have illustrated and described the referred form of construction for carrymg my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I,

therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but

' turned adjustable plaits provide desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope o the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I- claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A skirt comprising a body having lon--.

the front and rear sides thereof; inwardly turned adjustable plaits provided at the longitudinal edges of said panels whereby the' circumference of the skirt may be varied by adjusting said plaits; longitudinally adjustable straps extending between and connectpanels provided at 7 ing the upper end ortions of the longitudinal edges of the fi-ont and rear panels at corresponding sides of the skirt for determining the clrcumference' of the skirt and indirectly holdin said plaits in positions of ad'ustment; an an expansible belt provi ed at the waist of said'skirt connected therewith intermediate its ends with one of said panels, substantially as described.

3. A skirt comprising a body formedof two similar pieces of fabric joined together so that the seams thereof are positioned at the sides of the skirt, a panel formed centrally in each of said pieces defined by'longitudinally extending lines of stitching which form tucks at the lon itudinal edges of said panels; loose inwardly turned adjustable plaits provided at and coextensive with said tucks; and longitudinally adjust.- able members extending between and connecting the upper end portions of the tucks of the front and rear panels at correspond: ing sides of the skirt, substantially as described. JJ

4. -A skirt comprising a body having longitudinally extending panels provided at the front and rear sides thereof;v inwardly turned adjustable plaits provided at thelongitudinal edges of said panels whereby the circumference of the skirt may be varied by adjusting said plaits; loops secured to the longitudinal edges of said front panels; straps, each having its rear end secured to a Verticaledge of said rearpanel,

extending through one of said loops and its other end adjustably secured upon itself; and a belt secured to said rear panel and extending over said straps hiding the latter from vlew, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.. ELIZABETH MILES.

Witnesses: 1

JOSHUA R. H. Porrs, JANET E. FARRELL. 

